Dam and method of constructing same



' H/W. mxom,

- DAM AND METHOD OF CONSTRUGTING'SAME.

APPLICATIONJILED N0\ l.1, 1921, I

1,419,852, PatentedJune13,1922-.-

. INVENTOR ME I MM Mxo/v Mmsszs v nrronuzrs earanr orr ca.

1:13AM wanton, OENEW oRK, 1v. Y.

DAM AND METHOD or consrnnornve SAME.

Specification of Letters Patent. Pat t vJune 13s 1922- ApplicationfiledcNovember 1, 1921. Serial No. 512,073.

Dam andMethod of Constructing Same, of

which the following is a full, clear, and ex act description. 1 I

This-invention pertains to dams, dikes,

or other similar structures of this character and also relates to amethod of construct ing the same. v I

v. Heretofore it has been found impossible to profitably divert certainrivers orstreams' whose beds or banks are of solid rock and lie within.deep canons or gorges, such as" the Grand Canon of Colorado, in order toconstruct the usual formsof dams and therefore in order'to obviate thenecessity of diverting a stream or river of this character,

the present invention contemplates a dam and a method of constructingthesame which renderssuch a project possible and practical.

The invention further contemplates a dam and a method of constructingthe same in a simple, efficient, inexpensive and expeditious manner.

As a further object the invention aims to produce a dam and method ofdam construction which includes a novel means of anchorage for the dam,and means for permitting of the flow of the stream through its regularbed during its course of construc tion,

Further objects and advantages will be more apparent, as the nature,purpose and use of the invention is more clearly understood from thefollowing specification, claims and accompanying drawings, in whichFigure 1 illustrates diagrammatically a transverse section through agorge or canon illustrating the dam in its applied position.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof.

Referring to the drawings by character of reference, 10 designates agorge or canon, the bottom of which constitutes the bottom or bed 11 ofa stream or river 12. The dam includes a body 12 consisting of rocks orstones of various sizes and an anchoring means 13, the latter consistingof a net or mesh fabric having the interstices of a suitable size topermit of the normal flow 'of the stream therethrough while the dam isin the course of construction. The anchoring means for" the body of thedam is supported transversely of the bed 11 by a pluralitylofsuspensi'onjcables 14: attached at their lower ends to the upper edge ofthe net'o'r fabric and at their upper ends to a supporting cable 15anchored'at its opposite ends'by suitable anchoring devices 16' embeddedin the opposite banks of thecanon to dispose the same transverselythereof. The bottom portion of the net or fabric 13 isadapted to lie onthe bottom or bed of thestreamas at 17 with the'remaining portionbowedorbellied down stream to produce a, pocket in which the stones or rocksconstituting the body of the dam are'received. :The stones or rocks areprefera bly blasted from the canon walls and filled intothe pocket so"that the same are of gradually decreasing sizes from 1 the outer side ofthedam to-its inner'side'whereby' the, smaller stories will fill theinterstices between the preceding larger stones to finally build up avsubstantially solid rear wall which will be gradually covered by mud orearth continuously washed thereupon from the bed or bottom of the river,The weight of the rocks or stones upon the portion 17 of'the net orfabric will serve as a means for securely anchoring it to the bottom orbed of the stream whereby to prevent dislodgement thereof. In order toprevent dislodgement of the sides of the net, the same is preferablyanchored as at 18 to the sides of the canon wall from its upper edge toa point approximately level with the neutral level of the stream.

From the foregoing it follows that the method of constructing a dam ofthis character essentially consists'in the disposition of a foraminatedanchoring net or fabric transversely of the bed of a stream, suspendingthe upper edge thereof from an overhead support, weighting the loweredge of said anchoring net or fabric to the bottom or bed of the streamto dispose the lower edge down stream and out of vertical alignment withthe upper edge of the net to dispose the net at an angle to thevertical, pilingrocks 01' stones of gradually decreasing sizes from theouter to the inner side of the dam body thus formed whereby to graduallyout 01f the flow of the stream therethrough and force said-flow over thetop of the dam to raise the level of the stream above the dam.

, net for positioning and anchoring the dam While there has beenillustrated and described a single and preferred embodiment of theinvention, it is to be understood that the right is reserved toembodiments other than those actually illustrated hereinto the fullextent indicated by the general meaning of the terms in which the claimsare= expressed and by variations in the phraseology of the same;

I claim: 1'. YA dam construction including a body consisting of stonesof various sizes and'a body in the bed of a, stream, said netbeingbellied down stream: to I provide a pocket for the reception of thestones upon the lower edge; of which. the. same'will rest to anchor thesame to: the bottom or bedof the stream, and: a suspension means foranchoring the upper; edgeof said net.

2. A dam construction comprising a dam body consisting of rocks orstones, a foraminated anchoring means arranged transversely of thestream, a supporting cable anchored atthe opposite ends to-theoppositebanks of thestream, and: a suspension means attached respectively to thecable and the upper edge of-the'anchoring means, said anchoring'meansbeing bellied down stream withv its lower portion disposed up stream andlying on the bottom of the bed of the' stream, wherebyto provide apocket for the reception of the rocks or stones'constituting the dambody.

chorlng means 'beingfbellied down stream with its lower portion disposedup stream and lying on the bottom of the bed of the stream, wherebytoprovide a pocket for the reception of'the rocks or stones constitutingthedam body, said rocks or stonesbeing of various sizes with the largerones arranged adjacent the outer side of the dam and of graduallydecreasingsizes toward the inner side of the dam, as and for the purposespecified.

at. A dam including a body consisting of rocks or stones of varioussizes, a cable anchored at its opposite ends to the banks, and

arranged transversely of the stream to be dammed and a net suspendedtherefrom having its lower portion directed up stream resting upon thebed of the stream and bellied down stream to provide apocket for thereception of the rocks or stones which are arranged therein with thelarger ones, ad aCent the net and forming the outer side of the dam, andthe remainder arranged in layers of gradually decreasing sizes towardthe'inner side ofthe dam. 1 HIE-AM W. HIXON.

